The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against as many as three accused in connection with a case linked to the outlawed Communist Party of India Maoist (CPI Maoist), informed the agency on Tuesday, May 7.
The chargesheet includes the names of two absconder identified as Hidma and Bade Chhoka Rao, alias Damodar, both cadres of the outlawed Maoist outfit who are reported to be on the run in a case related to funding by the outlaws to purchase of various arms and equipment to spy on and attack security forces.
The third accused named in the chargesheet is Kamla, who has been lodging in jail since her arrest in the said case. The fresh chargesheet file by the anti-terror agency relates to seizure of drones, explosive materials and a Lathe machine from cadres of the banned CPI Maoist in Cherala of Telangana.
All the accused named in the supplementary chargesheet have been charged under section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 17, 18, 20, 38, 39, 40 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 4 of Explosive Substance Act.
Notably, the NIA had earlier charge-sheeted as many as eight people for supplying deadly explosives, drones and other equipment to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) for attacking security forces in the Maoist infested areas of the country on December 1, last year.
The accused charge-sheeted by the anti-terror agency in the original chargesheet were already in custody following their arrest under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
NIA Chargesheets 8 for Supply of Explosives, Drones etc to Banned CPI (Maoist) in Telangana pic.twitter.com/TxhZ7ETd10
— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 1, 2023
It is to be noted that as many as three of the eight accused, including Kamla who was working as a courier of the banned outfit, were apprehended while on their way to supply explosives, drones and a Lathe machine, the others accused in the case were subsequently nabbed.
NIA’s investigation into the Case
Notably, the investigation by the investigative agency in the case has so far revealed that the explosive material recovered from the possession of the accused, identified as Devanuri Mallikarjun Rao, Punem Nageshwar Rao and Vollepugla Umashankar, were supplied to them by accused Jannu Koti, Arepalli Srikanth, Tallapalli Arogyam and Bontha Mahender.
Later on, it was disclosed that the latter four had procured the explosives from one Sonaboina Kumaraswamy who held a license for dealing in explosives.
Further, the NIA’s investigation revealed that the accused, working as couriers for the banned outfit had purchased and transported a drilling machine to the extremists in March last year. They had also purchased a Lathe machine and drones for the Maoist in May 2023 with an aim of spying on the combing parties of security personnel in the Maoist affected regions.
The accused persons had also received explosives materials from the co-accused to be supplied to the proscribed CPI (Maoist). The explosives are to be used in unleashing violent attacks on the security forces in the Maoist stronghold.
It has been further disclosed that the cache of explosives recovered from the accused at the time of their arrest was intended for use in manufacturing of country-made arms to be deployed against the security forces in the Maoist infested areas.
The case was initially registered by the Cherala police station in Telangana in June last year which was re-registered and taken over by the NIA in August 2023.
It must be noted that apart from speeding up the investigation against the Maoist operatives nabbed by the NIA in separate cases of terror related activities, the anti-terror agency has been also conducting frequent raids on the possible hideouts of the underground and overground workers of the proscribed CPI Maoist across the country.
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